Part of the show’s attraction lies in its lightning-quick pace and its reliance on pure chance.

Rather than answering trivia questions to win (or lose) boatloads of money, contestants have to eliminate suitcases containing different monetary denominations.

They also deal with the show’s “Banker,” seen only in darkened profile, who communicates with Mandel via phone and offers to buy back the contestant’s suitcase.

As a public service to our readers, The Post asked Goldberg to answer some questions viewers may have about “Deal or No Deal,” which airs again tonight (8 p.m./Ch. 4).

* WHO’S “THE BANKER”?

Goldberg says he/she is an actor, who doesn’t actually call Mandel (a producer does that). “Figuratively, ‘The Banker’ is a slightly sinister character who brings conflict and enhances the rooting interest in the game,” Goldberg says. “Not only do we want the contestant to win, but we want the bank to lose.”

IS A COMPUTER PROGRAM USED TO CALCULATE HOW MUCH MONEY “THE BANKER” SHOULD OFFER THE CONTESTANT?

“Absolutely,” Goldberg says. “Don’t forget, it’s not just about the number, it’s about saying, ‘Well, we think this person has played a good game, we want to offer this amount. [The computer program] is a package that was created for the show and is used in every country where we produce ‘Deal or No Deal.’ ”

HOW ARE THE CONTESTANTS CHOSEN?

“We’ve meticulously cast this show in much the same way we would cast a reality show,” Goldberg says. “We’re really looking at the people’s personalities – their lifestyle and risk-taking nature . . . It’s not just the contestants we look at, but the people close to them, who ultimately become an ensemble cast in the show.”

HOW ARE THE CONTENTS OF THE SUITCASES KEPT A SECRET?

“We have a third-party company responsible for putting the dollar amounts in the boxes . . . It’s witnessed by a person from NBC’s Standards & Practices Department,” Goldberg says.

“We, as producers, have no idea what the dollar amount in the cases is.”